Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint: Episode 2 Early Impressions

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint needed Episode 2.

Since release the game has suffered a kind of identity crisis for many players. At release, I was was one of the few reviewers who enjoyed the game for what it was attempting to accomplish, including merging several ideas implemented across Ubisoft’s stable of games. Regardless, I understood why many did not enjoy it. Breakpoint attempted to blend stealth-driven action with tiered loot, gear scores, survival mechanics, and even a battle pass. Those who wanted a pure tactical shooter akin to earlier Ghost Recon games likely felt the friction created by all the other mechanics.

As a successor to Ghost Recon Wildlands, I wasn’t completely sure what was expected of Breakpoint aside from an evolution of the open world formula where players could attempt any mission in any way they saw fit. In many ways, Episode 2 attempts to satisfy jaded players, offering several new difficulty options and injected a wealth of new content in a game that truly needs it if Ubisoft hopes to continue pulling players into this franchise.

Though the new “Deep State” storyline is an exciting addition to the narrative, I imagine that most players want to know how Ubisoft is allowing players to tweak Breakpoint‘s difficulty and gameplay to better suit what they expect from a tactical shooter. Those who found nothing wrong with how Breakpoint originally played can select the Regular Experience which retains a gear level and tiered loot. The Regular Experience was meant to empower players as they fought through the robot-infested island of Auroa. New pieces of gear would drop that came with various bonuses that allowed players to slightly lean into certain playstyles. Similar to Wildlands, Breakpoint had sections where the opposition was much more intense. Though it would be possible to tackle any mission at any time, it might be easier to come back when you have better gear. After reaching a gear score of 150 or so, I found myself thinking about loot more thoughtfully in Breakpoint. There comes a point where you can equip a new piece of gear just because it boosts your total score but it might not have better bonuses. In a game where a majority of the enemies can die with a well-placed headshot, four percent explosion resistance and ten percent reload speed might not be that big of a deal, but I saw it as just another way the development team was hoping to allow players to be comfortable with their gear and feel rewarded with their progression.

The Immersive Experience forgoes that original foundation by removing gear levels and changing how loot is delivered to players. Firstly, gear like boots, helmets, or pants no longer have stat bonuses and instead act as cosmetic items that players will find in chests or as rewards for completing missions. For someone who is playing an early build on PC without the dozens of hours invested on my PS4, it was strange to have all these cosmetic options locked and rewarded with little flair from glowing loot chests. In the Regular Experience, tiered loot could look like any brand on offer but players could still change the actual appearance of their character in a separate menu. For those who never got deep enough in Breakpoint, this change likely won’t even register.

Gun acquisition is by far the biggest change to the sense of progression in the Immersive Experience. Weapons no longer drop with the wide variety of stat rolls like before but a specific class or type of weapon can still be permanently upgraded through the use of crafting materials. Now, players can pick up weapons dropped by downed enemies or scavenge them from the various loot chests scattered around Auroa. Though this works very similar to Breakpoint‘s original formula, the drastic change is that weapon stats are fairly static. Just because an enemy drops a gun or you loot one doesn’t mean that it will be inherently better than the one you are currently using. Standing next to a loot chest or over a dropped weapon for a few seconds shows a quick pop up comparison in the HUD to indicate how the stats of the equipped and lootable weapons compare.

I invested several crafting components into an SMG, a weapon type that usually doesn’t compare to assault rifles or LMGs and that SMG consistently help up against most everything I could have scrounged up on the battlefield. This creates a nice bond between players and their weapons as it becomes harder to justify losing a trusty companion. Additionally, players have the option of allowing themselves only one primary weapon slot and one handgun weapon slot. Choosing this option means that ammo is going to be extremely rare in long-distance and extended firefights. Players who unlock or purchase weapon blueprints throughout the game will also be able to equipment them at any time when resting at bivouacs or visiting the main hub of Erewhon. Out of the several new options available to players, I feel that the changes to weapon looting may be one of the most welcome as it pushes players to be devoted to a choice and how they might approach a given mission. In co-op groups, it may force players to really dig deep into specific roles of snipers, mid-range support, and up-close panthers.

If the Regular and Immersive Experiences don’t feel like enough, players can choose a Custom Experience. As seen in the screenshot above, the Custom Experience allows players to cherry pick the modifications from both modes. Immersive is already built on making the game more difficult and survival-oriented. By default, Immersive gave me an extremely limited HUD and interface, no automatic health regeneration, ammo loss when reloading, less stamina, and a devastating risk of being injured. The Ghost Experience is meant to allow players to play through Breakpoint in whatever way they see fit and all of these smaller details can be adjusted individually rather than with broad strokes. If a player wants, they can customize the experience to allow for every disadvantage possible where every bullet hits with devastating lethality. At one point when I was playing like this, I became critically injured and ran out of bandages and couldn’t heal. I couldn’t switch to a syringe (which may have been a bug?) and no healing items were in sight. Eventually I just forced my Ghost into the water to die because I felt so bad having her stumbling around in agony barely able to function.

Are you looking for the rawest possible Ghost Recon experience? While these new options in Breakpoint may not satisfy those who want the more linear structure of a pre-Wildlands era, it creates the most intense gameplay scenarios for solo players and potentially a more engaging group effort in co-op. Those who abandoned Breakpoint at any stage might just want to start a new game from scratch and start out with the Immersive Experience. If it proves just a bit too easy or too difficult, there’s nothing stopping you from changing those factors.

Along with Episode 2 comes two new character classes: the Engineer and Echelon. The Engineer specializes in doing increased damage to drones and with grenade launchers. With their special ability, Engineers can summon a defensive drone that offers up support. Players can select a target for the drone to attack or it will act as a kind of guard dog and shoot at nearby enemies that approach the player. The Engineer’s special item is an ammo drone that can be thrown at a distance and allow any allies to grab a new magazine packed with ammo that does increased damage. Inspired by Splinter Cell, the Echelon class obviously focuses on stealth and does increased damage with handguns. This class has sonar vision as a special ability which blankets a large area and allows the player to detect enemies through walls and disturbs drones. The Echelon’s special item is a shock pistol that can silently take out enemies or stun drones. What really sets the Echelon class apart is an ability that auto-targets PvE enemies when spotted within 150 meters, usually lining up for a quick, perfect headshot that takes a few seconds to refresh.

Based on how groups of players engage with Breakpoint, the four original character classes all had strengths and weaknesses that truly shined when playing as a cohesive unit. However, I usually stuck with the Medic class because I played the game solo and relied on the revive drone. With the addition of the Ghost experience and the increased difficulty, both the Engineer and Echelon classes are welcome additions because their unique abilities supplement a more difficult playstyle. I will be interested to see what new classes may be offered down the line and how they will further diversify gameplay.

My favorite part about Episode 2 is, without a doubt, the “Deep State” storyline that brings Splinter Cell‘s iconic Sam Fisher back into the world of Ghost Recon. Fisher was previously seen in a short escapade in Wildlands and this connection is referenced as soon as the player encounters him. Stretching across eight new story missions, players are helping Fisher unravel the location and identity of an entity called the Strategist and their involvement in Project CLAW, which ties in with the deadly drones and robotics that players have already fought against in Breakpoint.

Michael Ironside is back as the voice of the aging and grizzled Fisher, who is an immediate badass upon first seeing him. The player character Nomad teams up with Fisher because the Strategist may lead to Midas, a member of Nomad’s Ghost team who has been missing since the events of Breakpoint began. Fisher insists that bringing the Strategist to America and placing them in front of Congress will force the United States’ hand in finally conducting an invasion on Auroa to set things straight.

Players expecting a quick trip into a handful of Auroa’s locales may be disappointed with how meaty this new bit of campaign is. These eight story missions aren’t short by any means and usually require–in typical Ghost Recon fashion–a trip to one area to take down opposition, investigate or rescue a target, head to a new zone, and kill some bad guys to complete the mission. While I enjoyed the recent Terminator event, it was a bit too short to really have a meaningful impact on how players may have stuck with the game. “Deep State” offers a satisfying blend of stealth and action. Right after players infiltrate a base to meet up with Fisher, they will hop into the gunner seat of a tank and blast away at pursuers while the covert agent takes the wheel. Fisher is also quite effective at dispatching enemy AI, which has me hoping that Ubisoft is going to introduce friendly AI sooner rather than later to Breakpoint. The next mission focuses on players infiltrating a powerplant where stealth is the best method of success.

This story expansion is great. Though I won’t dwell on how Ubisoft keeps teasing Sam Fisher without making some kind of official announcement on a new Splinter Cell game, it’s great to see the character again. Better yet, the storyline and action feel appropriately tailored for Sam Fisher and the narrative of Breakpoint as a whole. It’s truly a welcome surprise for players who may have just thought the Year 1 pass for Breakpoint would be a few minor additions to gameplay and the one-off chapters that have been unfolding since the game’s release.

Ghost War, the PvP mode, isn’t being neglected either and players will be treated to four new maps. As much as I enjoy Ghost War, it’s really only great with a team that communicates. Personally, I feel that a lot of thought and care has gone into each custom map for the mode and you can see it with these new ones as well. The Forgotten Valley map focuses on long sightlines where players really need to think about exposing their position. The Train Station and Construction Site maps rely on players being constantly pushed into the center where there’s less room to breathe as players could literally be on the opposite side of a wall from each other. Abandoned Village acts as almost a combination of the three, where wooden shacks provide ample cover from snipers but allow other to close the gap easier.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint should be in a much better place when more players finally get their hands on the content found in Episode 2. A standout, bulky piece of story content not only offers several hours of entertainment, it brings back one of Ubisoft’s most beloved characters. Really though, I think most players are going to finally decide if they are willing to give Breakpoint a chance with the overhaul the Ghost Experience is bringing. Those who have been clamoring for a more intense, tactical shooter will have what they want. Those who don’t want to worry about the survival elements can strip those away if they want. Ubisoft is giving players the opportunity to play Breakpoint in a variety of new ways. Like I said last year, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a fun game. That still holds true to this day. And now, it’s even better.